8 comments:

Some great stories in those. I Have to say though that I much prefer the Marvel Tales issues that reused the original covers - most of those covers above aren't to my taste (although #16 is quite striking).

I clearly remember buying Marvel Tales 190-192 in WhSmiths in Argyle Street in 1986- what a set those three issues are: Spider-Man No More, a triple sized issue with the three part drug abuse storyline, and the Death of Gwen Stacy. Although I later came to discover the Ditko stories, those three issues of MT are still my favourite Spidey stories.

Something else I fondly remember about that period was that double and triple sized issues of American comics were sold in newsagents for the same price (40p!) as regular issues!

As you'll know, DD, the Lee/Ditko stories were reprinted in Marvel Tales twice - once in the '60s and again in the '80s, this time with the original covers. I've got most (if not all) of the '60s reprints, and all of the '80s (Ditko) ones also. As I said in the post, Spider-Man Classics used the same plates (or negatives) as the 2nd MT reprints, but the colours and line-work were much sharper due to superior printing. The three issues you mention are also safely tucked away in my collection. And I have to agree - I prefer the original covers over the new ones also, but clearly Marvel were trying to make the mags look more 'up-to-date' on the spinner racks.

They were definitely trying to get the covers to appeal to the young readers of the time-#7 has the word 'torment' in the same typeface as it's used on the covers of Todd McFarlane's Spider-Man comics with the story of the same name!

I remember the 80's reprints well, I bought them all, but by '93(?) US comics had disappeared from the newsagents, so I didn't know about these. No harm in making the "proper" Spidey comics appeal to a new generation. They should do it again now and sell them to another new generation!

I wish they'd reprint all the classics in monthly issue format, JP, but Marvel would probably be worried that it might detract from the sales of the Masterworks and Omnibus volumes. ('Though I doubt it, because the old stuff doesn't seem to sell too well, except to a minority of collectors.) If they ever do reprint them as single issue, monthly comics, I hope they don't do it on glossy paper - they look much better on matt paper.

STUDIO 77

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artiston various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artistandspot illustratoron pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

ForMARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as arestoration artistfor MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

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